Parallexus
by LadyKirklandJones
Summary: It is the year 2090 and war is coming. The West of the Clockwork Realm is spinning too fast on its cog while the East has stopped completely. The Centre Clockface, home to Arthur Kirkland, is in peril of falling into the Abyss. After meeting Alfred Jones, Arthur is joined by a motley crew as they battle the Axis Powers. (Full summary inside, T-rated for later chapters. APH-AU)
1. A New Government

_Full Summary:_

_It is the year 2090 and the world has changed drastically. Watchers roam the streets in search for their next prey while Overseers torture prisoners of the workforce of the Clockwork Realm. No one is free anymore. The Aristocrats and Democrats are working together now for the future of our world. But war is coming. The East of the Realm has stopped spinning on its cog while the West of the Realm is spinning too fast. The richer world of the Centre Clockface, home to Arthur Kirkland, is in peril of falling into the Abyss below. After running away from his home, job and family, Arthur now lives on the streets disguised as The Clocker of King's Court and is running from the law. Meanwhile on the Engineer's Dial, young Alfred Jones, the Chief Engineer, fights for his freedom. Both of them are sick and tired to the back teeth of the biased world they live in and, after making friends with many people in the same position, they fight back. Now is the time to bring about a new era of living. With Alfred and Arthur leading the charge, Francis Bonnefoy, Wang Yao and Ivan Braginsky join them and take to the land and skies as the Allied Forces of The Clockwork Realm. But where there is good there will always be evil. The Axis Powers, belonging to the Aristocratic leadership of Roderich Edelstein, fight against the Allies. Ludwig Beilschmidt, his brother Gilbert Beilschmidt, Honda Kiku and the cowardly yet adorable Feliciano Vargas tackle the Allies in a head-on collision of steam, coal and war. However, just when they think they've won, both the Allies and Axis realise that there is a higher power controlling the Clockwork Realm. Parallexus. What is it? Time to find out, before time runs out._

* * *

Parallexus – Chapter One

"We cannot allow the East to prevail through their stubbornness and refusal to cooperate!"

"Neither can we allow the West to keep spinning as it is at current! If we do, the Centre Clockface will run the perilous risk of collapsing and falling into the Abyss!"

And so the argument continued. Aristocrat against Aristocrat, Democrat against Democrat and none of them gaining common ground upon which to agree. In The House there stood a single man, waiting very patiently to enter The Court of Order. He tapped his foot, almost impatiently, as he waited. Finally he was given the signal to go and he slammed open the great metal and oak doors. Every politician in the room jumped and looked towards the man. He had sleek, chestnut brown hair slicked backwards wtih a curl of hair sticking upward neatly. His mahogany-brown eyes scanned the room silently as he stalked forward unto the silence that had befallen. Many politicians were keeping a tight eye on this strange, clearly foreign, man as he stalked closer and closer. Silence reigned supreme until he spoke.

"So... I see none of you can cooperate well enough to run the Clockwork Realm..." he purred, his voice one of a strong Austrian accent. There were mutters of disapproval echoing around the room.

"Who does he think he is..."

"... barging in here..."

"... like he owns the place!"

The Austrian snapped his cane against the floor with a sharp resounding crack that made everyone fall silent.

"You all doubt my power...? Even though I have barely had a chance to demonstrate it...?" He said, his voice low and melodic.

"Who do you think you are, sir? Coming into a strictly private conference as you did?" one of the Democrats spoke up. The Austrian cleared his throat before speaking next.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier," he apologised, "but my name is Roderich Edelstein. I am here on representation and recommendation of my Cog."

"And what Cog would that be, Mr Edelstein?"

"The Cog of Justice and Power, good sir." Roderich replied smoothly, he was well-prepared for this. He was a thinker, unlike much of those in the room who were all dreamers or sayers, spinning webs of fabulous and gleaming tales and lies to feed to the people of the Clockwork Realm. He was here to stop them in their tracks, run their world for them, make everything better. He was here to bring about a revolution in this world, one to change it for the better. Murmurs spread throughout The Court but none of them doubted him; they couldn't, after all he _was_ from The Cog of Justice and Power, that cog being of a higher order than each of the politicians in the room.

"Alright then..." the Head Politician said, "You may demonstrate your power, Mr Edelstein..." Roderich smiled slyly.

"Good." was the only word given before numerous soldiers burst through all the doors leading in and out of the room, each of them brandishing Tommy Guns and Steam-Spewers which were both highly powered and dangerous weapons to bear. All of them rounded up the frightened politicians as they huddled together, the soldier's uniforms one of an unknown design that had an eagle's head and the body of a lion. Perhaps it was a Griffon - a much feared creature from the Hell Plains.

"What is the meaning of this Mr Edelstein?!" the Head Politician cried, fear clear on his face.

"Simply a matter of cleaning up, good sir." he replied plainly, raising a hand to stop the soldiers from shooting and ending the politicians' miserable lives. The soldiers stopped but didn't lower their weapons, only making the politicians beg for mercy more.

"SILENCE!" Roderich bellowed, making them all fall quiet instantly, "I am giving you all a chance to live. I suggest you take it." he said with a sly grin. Every politician made a run for it, hoping to get to the doors and live.

"FIRE!" Roderich roared, watching as each man was shot down by combinations of acid and steam. Soon the room fell silent and he started to laugh lowly, dismissing the soldiers to safeguard the room and dispose of the bodies. This was only the start of his plans, only the start. Soon, the light would shine brightly above the Clockwork Realm and people would look to him as their leader - Roderch Edelstein, Master of All.

* * *

"Faster! Go, go Clocker!" the crowds yelled, watching a man duck and dive past the numerous obstacles the Enforcers were leaving for him as he ran to escape mass of Enforcers behind him. He laughed, jumping high above the crowds and watching the wonder in their faces as his White Crystal Orb on the top of his cane caught the light and shone, obscuring his masked face against the bright white light. The crowd screamed with delight despite their hero, the Clocker of King's Court and the Underground City, being technically an outlaw to the Centre Clockface. He was infamous across the Nine Cogs for his daring-do, his escapades, his heroic nature to take from the rich snobs and give to the poor of the Underground. According to rumours, he had given up his well-to-do life down on King's Court to help people, he had given up his well-paying job to some other soul, he had left his family and he had given everything up to live in the shadows as the Clocker - the man who saves the Underground day after day and with no reward. He never stops. He never stays. And he never asks to be thanked. All anyone has seen him wear is a top-hat decorated with clockfaces and cogs, a cane topped with a rare White Crystal Orb, a deep black, bordering on blue or purple, tailcoat and neat leg-hugging trousers that were overlaid with just-below-the-knee boots. He was a hero, to put it plainly, amongst the people of the Underground. And today was no different.

He had sneaked into one of the Nobles' house, stolen a good amount of food and run off as their hound started barking. Truth be told, judging by the bite marks on the Clocker's boots, he wasn't a friend of animals. He sprinted as fast as he could, weaving in and out of the crowds that lined the streets and the carts that trotted back and forth. Every time he jumped high above someone, the crowd would go wild, screaming and shouting in wonder and yet fear at the same time. Soon though, he hit a block. There were Enforcers creating a wall of anger and frustration at not being able to catch this scoundrel.

"Halt! Don't move!" they all cried as one, their tinny voices echoing around the street as the crowds fell silent. The Clocker grinned, tipping his top hat slightly as his bronze and gold mask caught the sunlight that shone down like a sign from the Heavens.

"Gentlemen. I'm afraid I have no time for your silly game of Tag today, for I have a delivery to make." the Clocker said, his voice silky and almost harsh at the same time. This was the first time anyone had heard him talk, and they loved every word of it. The crowds screamed wildly, cheering as he had spoken for once. His voice, his accent, was British. Everything about him was just so British, so perfect.

"Ho now Clocker! Where do you think you're sneaking off to now?" the Lead Enforcer shouted, hefting his Spring Gun, a high-powered weapon that could shoot springs like bullets. The Clocker laughed and it only drove the crowd wilder.

"I'm off to help those I always do, Officer!" he laughed, stamping one boot against a drain he was stood on lightly. The drain slide aside as he jumped into the air, allowing him clean access to the Undercity. He jumped down the drain and, as the Enforcers ran forwards to hunt him down, the drain cover melted back into place. There was laughter and cheering throughout the crowds as the Enforcers retreated back to their hollow in the side of the Great Museum of The Nine Cogs and The Clockwork Realm.


	2. To Flee Is Not An Option

He had never run so fast before to escape mere Enforcers, not since the Great Market Escape two years ago. Now that was a hootenanny, as his friend had said before they were caught. The Clocker had escaped, but he was forced to leave his friend behind. The fact that his friend had died there in the Dungeons and Underworld of the Centre Clockface while he had escaped with his life only drove the Clocker on in his thirst for what could be viewed as revenge. But everyone knew that it was far from revenge; he was merely avenging his friend. Continuing with their job even when his friend was dead, rotting away in the dark and dank Underworld beneath his feet.

Now he stalked along the Undercity's shadow-pass, the only sound coming from him was the click-clicking of his metal boots as he walked. As usual, it was quiet while the Overcity was bustling and busy. Shouts and laughter from children and adults reached the Clocker's ears as he went by silently, holding the bag of food over his shoulder as he made his way to the Bridges Of The Dials. The Bridges were a series of, well, great metal bridges that connected the Centre Clockface to the Dials, the lands that lay below the Cogs and Clockface. Unlike the Overcity's bridges, these ones didn't need to be paid for to use. It was all free since it was so dangerous. A mutt padded along behind the Clocker, howling mournfully at its terrible state. Its fur was mangled and tufted, its stomach so thin you could see some of the organs' shapes and its ribs stuck out like a sore thumb. The Clocker looked down and slowed to a stop, kneeling beside the mutt and looking at its collar.

"Jake…" he murmured, gently ruffling the mutt's mangled and manky fur before setting down a small chunk of meat in front of it, "Now don't go expecting more, Jake, others need this stuff…" he said, standing and walking off again, smiling when he heard a bark of appreciation come from Jake.

"Ha-ha, you're welcome!" he called behind him, his voice echoing around the place as he continued to walk. Soon he reached the Bridges Of The Dials and, boy, were they a sight to behold. In their prime, they were gleaming structures of bronze fused with copper and gold, polished to the nth degree so that they shone in the Undercity's light. Great arms of metal gripped the undersides of the bridges in a vice, holding them close to the Centre Clockface. Great spires of bronze alloy were welded firmly to a platform almost a mile above them, an infinite structure of beauty being held up. But now, now they were falling apart. The once-wide structure was narrowed to a one-man-wide walkway. The spires had begun to crumble while the arms were trembling at being so worn down. Below the bridges lay the Abyss; a gargantuan gap that lay beneath everything in existence, waiting like the beast it was to swallow everything up when the world collapsed. And, judging by how the East and West were spinning against each other, it looked like the end was coming up fast. The Centre Clockface was in peril of falling into the Abyss; dragging everything down with it should it fall.

The Clocker carefully stepped onto the walkway, almost shuffling along the rusted bridge as it swayed slowly. Two, nearly three, years of doing this and still he hadn't gotten used to the movements of the bridge. With one hand he held tightly onto the bag over his shoulder while with the other hand he gripped the support-bar that had also begun to crumble. Slowly he made his way along the bridge, taking it slow and one step at a time so no sudden movements upset the balance of things. Soon enough he made it across, freezing when he heard the chittering and skittering of Chitters – violent, monkey-like clockwork creatures that were the size of a small child. Their size didn't hinder them; barely anything did since they were able to propel themselves at high speeds towards their victim. They would cling tightly onto their prey with their sharp, vicious claws and wouldn't let go until their victim was dead. They would _suck_ the life out of their prey, making them age and age and age until there was nothing left in them. No time. Just flesh and bones. Once they had done this, the life-energy would be stored in a green crystal that lay within a hollow chamber inside the chest of the mechanical beast. No one knew what they'd do with it, just that that would happen. The Clocker could see a lone Chitter crawling along the underside of the bridge, its blunt square teeth gnashing together in a show of hunger.

"Oh… Hello…" the Clocker said quietly, taking a blunt throwing knife from his belt and turning to face the Chitter, parallel so he could keep it in sight at all times. The Chitter hissed and growled viciously at the Clocker, suddenly launching itself forwards with its claws outstretched towards its newest prey. Time seemed to slow for the Clocker as he jumped aside, dumping the bag quickly on the ground without spilling its contents, and away from the attacking Chitter. In slow-motion, all the springs and nitty-gritty pieces of the Chitter's legs could be seen tensing and coiling as it jumped, relaxing and spreading out again as it landed on the other side of the worn-down bridge. Instantly the Chitter was on top of the Clocker, its harshly gnashing teeth reaching closer and closer to the Clocker's face. It was growling loudly, so the Clocker growled back just as loud. The Clocker was holding it back, bending it unnaturally backwards until he heard a cringe-worthy snapping sound in the clockwork monster's back. There was a small howl of pain as the Clocker drove the blunt knife straight into the Chitter's crystal. A terrible scream came from the Chitter as the Clocker yanked the knife back out and tossed the Chitter over the side of the Dial he was now on, watching with adrenalin coursing through him as it fell into the Abyss.

"Nasty things… Someone really ought to do something about them…" the Clocker muttered, picking himself up and dusting himself down, grabbing the bag of food again and heading into the steamy and humid corridors of the Engineer's Dial.

* * *

Roderich paced back and forth, back and forth, back and forth across the cool marble flooring of The Court of Order, tapping his fingers on the cane he held in one hand. To an novice, he'd appear to be agitated and brooding, but to the expert eye in watching this man's behaviour, one would realise that he was in fact planning. He had successfully taken over The Court and disposed of the remaining politicians, including the Head Politician, and his army reigned supreme as he controlled the Government. But what else was there left to do? Of course, aside from reforming the Clockwork Realm and the face of their world.

"Of course... I'd forgotten..." he purred softly to no one, still pacing back and forth. There was a slightly, distant smile on his face as he realised what there was left to do. He sat in the previous Head Politician's chair and picked up the eagle-feather quill. He dipped it in sapphire-blue ink and began to write a list of all that was needed to be done.

"Of course... I must dispose of those who are unwanted to me..." he said, his tone soft and yet malicious.

"I must destroy that Underground hero, The Clocker."


	3. The Engineer's Dial

"Heave that beam higher! _HIGHER!_" Alfred roared at the other Engineers, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his metal right hand. He jumped down from the platform he was currently on and past the whirring machinery that kept the Cogs of the Realm spinning, landing hard but neatly on the platform below. Alfred stormed over to the men that were trying to haul a new beam upwards on its pulley system where the Welders were to secure it into place, its job to hold up a broken section of the belly of the Judgement Dial, the Dial where criminals and prisoners were sentenced to life or death.

"We're tryin' Chief!" the youngest of the men cried, yelping as Alfred gently pulled him out of the way and seized the four ropes of the pulley himself. Slowly but surely the beam was lifted by the American and it soon enough reached the Welders above who quickly set to work in joining it to the belly of the East. The onlookers watched in amazement at one man being strong enough to heft a giant, titanium alloy beam upwards by his mere self. But Alfred was no regular Engineer. He was as strong as any and all creatures combined and could easily lift hundreds of times his own weight to any height, he could join two beams together and run along the stretch of the Engineer's Dial in a matter of seconds and he could do any job faster than anyone else. He was Alfred Jones, the Chief Engineer of the Engineer's Dial.

He stepped away once the beam was in place, running an oily hand through his dirty-blonde hair and past his nantucket that stuck up almost awkwardly. His deep, sapphire blue eyes scanned the area before he left them to it, going back up to his office and sitting down to see to some paperwork. Very rarely did Alfred ever do paperwork, only when there was loads to do that he would actually sit down and do it. And today was one of those days.

"Actually..." he murmured to himself, "It can wait for a bit..." the American said, kicking his iron and steel-clad boots up onto the desk as he sat back in his chair. He wore scruffy denim overalls that made him look like a regular, working-class Engineer; but what made him stand out different and made him to be the Chief Engineer was the rest of his attire. A pair of hard-worked, black-tinted goggles rested atop his head that were laced with copper and bronze in the rims to hold the glass in place, their lenses specialised onese so that they would often act like reading glasses. On his left hand he wore a thick black leather glove that protected him from the jets of steam that could undoubtedly rip the skin from his bones while his right hand was encased with a fusion of gold and bronze alloy that covered from his elbow to his fingertips. It was a trait every Engineer of the Clockwork Realm shared, all of them being right-handed, and it was compulsory to have metal fingers on their right hand instead of flesh ones. It was all designed to protect them from the red-hot surfaces they would touch and the sharp jets of steam that would attack them if they weren't careful. Beneath his overalls he wore a grubby white shirt that was tucked into the sides of his denim overalls with metal encasing his sides to also protect him from the steam jets that hissed and would shoot out from the machinery he worked with every day. On his feet he wore heavy-duty boots that were titanium-tipped in the toe to help keep his toes safe from falling metal and slag that dripped from the smelting cauldrons that were hoisted high above them on chains. Both boots had little catchments on the soles, acting as grips on the often-slippery metal of the walkways of the Dial, and bits of metal that curved up his calf muscles – acting as elite shock absorbers for the numerous jumps he would have to do in a single day to avoid machinery.

Alfred sighed as he soon picked up his metal-feather quill and began to write out the latest report from the Dial, only to be interrupted by a familiar cry of greetings from below-decks.

"Ho Alfred!" a man shouted as he entered the Dial, a sack laden with goods slung over his shoulder. Alfred perked up, grinning as he jumped up from his chair, ran from his office and leaned over the railings of the walkway.

"Ho Arthur!" he shouted back, laughing as he grabbed hold of a Down Chain and swung one of his feet into the links, instantly being pulled downwards to the lower levers. The other man laughed too, watching the Chief Engineer's heroic antics as he dived from one Chain to the next in a show of courage and idiocy. Alfred jumped and landed on the deck, smiling brightly as he approached his friend. The newcomer set the sack down onto the deck and embraced his friend with a man-hug.

"It's great to see you again, Clocker!" Alfred said happily, a hand resting on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur smiled, tipping his top-hat.

"And you, Engineer, and you!" he smiled, resting his own hand on Alfred's shoulder in return.

"So, what goods do ya bring for us from up top?" Alfred asked the Englishman, only to receive a mischevious grin.

"Just more food for you all," he said offhandly, "But I did manage to snag _this_ from an Enforcer today!" he said, his grin growing wider as he pulled out a Spring Gun from one of his belt-loops with a flourish and handed it to Alfred. The Engineer's eyes lit up with joy.

"Dude! Seriously?! Do you know how long I've been trying to get my hand on one of these?!" he cried, ecstatic at finally being able to disassemble one at long last. The Clocker laughed.

"I know, dear friend, I know! Ever since the Fall of The Underground, when I first met you!"

"But how did you get one?!"

"While I was running for my worth from Enforcers behind me after robbing a Noble's manor of its food, I saw an Enforcer dealing with a crook in the shadows. The fool had left his Spring in plain sight! So I quickly dived in, grabbed the bleedin' thing and run off again! It cost me a good few seconds I'll have you know!" Arthur explained, his bottle-green eyes sparkling with mischief and joy. Alfred grinned widely as he stowed the Gun into his pocket and gestured for Arthur to follow him up to his office. Arthur nodded, swinging the sack over his shoulder again and waving slightly to the other Engineers as they cheered; the Clocker had returned to them at long last!


	4. The Axis - Hired

The sun bore down on the heated plains of the Clockwork Realm, making the glass, steel and titanium buildings gleam brightly as if they were a beacon from the heavens. It was common knowledge that in the Realm there were Nine Cogs, all of them with specific tasks. The first and largest Cog was of Justice and Power, its job being to patrol the Realm's courts and justice system as well as changing the laws that existed. The second Cog was the Cog of The Nobles, this one belonging to the well-to-do and richer families of the Realm who had the head of their family entered as a politician for the Realm. So many important historical figures had come from that Cog and still they continued to appear from it in modern times. The third Cog was the Cog of Industry, an almost run-down Cog that was in charge of distributing supplies and such like across the entire Realm. Following that came the fourth Cog - the Cog of Intelligence and Communications. This Cog was perhaps one of the very important ones despite its position in the Realm. As its name suggests, the task of this Cog is to manage the information and knowledge not just of that Cog alone, but of the entire Clockwork Realm. It was a huge library of books, holo-records and scriptures and tapestries. The knowledge that lay within the Grande Library was endless. The fifth Cog was a unique one, the Cog of Architecture and Arts. It was responsible for designing homes, buildings, mansions as well as battle plans, blueprints for weaponry and machinery. It also housed the artworks of the Old World, the world that existed before the refined world of the Clockwork Realm; ancient artworks that dated back to the 1900s as well as hundreds of years before that.

But after the fifth Cog came the less well-known Cogs. The lesser ones. The more practical Cogs. The sixth Cog was a difficult one to negotiate its true purpose but after doing a lot of digging around in one's memory, one would realise that the sixth Cog was in charge of weapons distribution. That was its main job but if one had travelled the Cog of Weaponry and Arms one would realise that it the entire thing was a military training camp. It perhaps wasn't the place to migrate to, not decently anyway. There was no public housing, no good settlements that the Centre Clockface had, and all it could provide were soldiers and other such well-trained people in militarial matters. No doubt that, in the even of war, this would be the winning Cog. The seventh Cog was tasked into being the Cog of Education, teaching the children of the Realm the history of their world. The penultimate Cog, the eighth Cog, was a giant factory. The Cog of Ammunitions and Machinery. The only thing this Cog would do would be do create the weapons used for the sixth Cog, test them and then sell them off for the best or highest price. And lastly would come the final Cog, the ninth Cog. While its predecessors up until the fifth Cog were quite small, this one was a rival to the first Cog's size. The Cog of The Navy and Airforce. Since the Cog of Weaponry and Arms trained the land-army for battle, this one's job would be to train the Navy-men and pilots for their parts in battle.

All these Cogs, the Nine Cogs of the Clockwork Realm, surrounded the Centre Clockface as if they were its guard dogs. All of them champing at the bit, snarling at the muzzle, ready to protect the centre of their world. For the Clockface was the biggest place of all. Over it was a gleaming glass 'dome' that stretched from the North of the Clockface to the South, as well as East and West. On this protection-glass was literally a clockface. Two great metal and ebony hands ticked slowly around and around the face of the great cast-iron-and-gold face, and would let loose a great booming chime when 12'noon came around. But it wasn't like other clocks, smaller clocks. No, this one kept on ticking but it never seemed to reach 12'noon. Never in the history of the Clockwork Realm had it chimed. Scientists had theorised that if it ever did, the whole world would collapse at the sheer volume of the great toll of its bell, sending everything in creation except for the Hell Plains into the Abyss below. Everything anyone had ever known would be swallowed up by the darkness, the light never to be seen again. All of these Cogs kept on spinning, only the Clockface remaining stationary, as the world literally ticked on. But in recent times the East had begun spinning faster while the West had slowed down, the two Cogs of the higher and lower ends of the spectrum were reaching many disagreements and fast. The Cog of Justice and Power was trying to take over the Cog of The Navy and Airforce and so far with little success. With the Cog of Justice and Power in the East and the Cog of The Navy and Airforce in the West, as well as all the other Cogs surrounding them, things were beginning to look rather bleak in the way of the Clockface's, and the world's, survival.

* * *

Roderich Edelstein was still, after about a week, the most powerful man in the Realm. He had complete control of the Nine Cogs and the Dials of the Clockwork Realm, as well as the Centre Clockface. He smirked slightly to himself before hearing the great oak doors open to his office. All around the walls were snippets from newspapers from all across the Nine Cogs concerning the sudden deaths of the Politicians that used to run the Court of Order. According to the media and their troublesome journalists, each politician had died a 'mysterious and curious death'. Roderich couldn't help but smirk slightly whenever he saw that same line.

"Mysterious indeed..." he said softly to himself before turning around and watching the four new figures enter his office. The first to enter was a very tall and broad man, clearly a German what with his shining blue eyes and bright blonde hair; he was heavily built and his muscles very defined. The man behind the German was just a bit shorter despite looking older; he was an albino, a very rare type of person in the Realm, and had bright silvery hair and glaring red eyes. He had numerous scars across his face and a very outstanding one that ran across his right eye and the bridge of his nose. Both men had very squared jaws and broad shoulders, an instant sign they were good in a fight.

_'Intriguing...'_ Roderich thought to himself as he studied the two specimens before the third followed. This man was fairly tanned, his eyes a deep and almost sad-looking brown colour, plain as the dirt of the Hell Plains. Nothing seemed to shine in them much unlike the other two and yet looked cold and calculating at the same time. This man had dark black hair that seemed to be fashioned into what looked like a bowl-cut, yet Roderich knew that this was the Japanese man he had hired. He walked with an air of stoicness and coldness about him, his posture straight and his shoulders back. The fourth and final person to enter the room trailed along meekly, his body almost hunched over in what appeared to be fear of being in a room with a powerful man such as Roderich. His eyes were a light honey-colour as they shone with previous tears of fright but also curiosity about everything in the room, and his hair was a light chestnut brown colour with an odd swirl of hair that went to the left of his head.

Soon they formed a neat line in front of the desk, all of them stood to attention with the exception of the fourth man, the scared one.

"So, I take it you four are the people I hired?" Roderich asked, his tone soft and yet demanding. The German man nodded.

"Ja. Mein name is Ludwig Beilschmidt," he said, his accent strong as he gestured down the line one by one to his cohorts, "Zhis is mein bruder, Gilbert Beilschmidt. Strong in a fight und yet good at running away sometimes. Zhis is Honda Kiku, precise wizh a sword und a silent killer. One vould never see him coming. And finally, zhis is Feliciano Vargas. Not a great fighter but is a good decoy."

Roderich nodded once Ludwig had finished speaking, surveying each of the hired fighters.

_'So... this is the rag-tag team I've hired at great recommendation from my General...'_ he thought almost bitterly as he stepped in front of the four out from behind his desk.

"Good. Now then. All of you shall work for me und take orders from me. Understood?" the Austrian said, watching the last man with an icy gaze. Feliciano seemed to shrink back beneath the look and, just as he'd had enough, he let out a cry of fear and hid behind Ludwig. The German sighed.

"Feliciano zhere is little point in hiding since ve vork for zhis man now. You must take orders from him." Ludwig said sternly.

"But I don't-a like him~!" Feliciano said, his accent Italian, as he clung tightly to Ludwig's muscular arm. Ludwig sighed as he pried Feliciano off, glaring slightly.

"Feliciano, I'd appreciate it if you'd remember exactly where we were?" he said tightly, his eyes cold and clearly angered. Feliciano whimpered and nodded.

"Si..." he mumbled quietly as he stood back beside Kiku. Roderich sighed, massaging his temples with his index fingers.

"So this is the team I've hired...?" he said silkily and yet sounding threatening too, "A bunch of people who can't even keep in line?!" All four of them seemed to wince as Roderich raised his voice, stepping back out of the Austrian's reach. This was, most certainly, going to be a long and tiresome day.


	5. Of Jobs And Love

"So vhy exactly are ve even here, Edelstein?" Ludwig asked, squaring his broad German shoulders in slight annoyance. Roderich rolled his eyes dramatically and stalked back behind his desk, taking a seat in the high-back red leather chair. His fingers laced together as he rested his elbows on the desk. In a soft and slightly angered voice he answered.

"Because I ordered you all here. I hired you. You work for me now." He said, also annoyed.

"But that doesn't answer the question! VHY are ve here?!" Gilbert cried out, glaring as he slammed his hands down onto the mahogany desk. His action made Feliciano jump and, yet again, hide and seek refuge behind Ludwig. Roderich's face curled into a snarl as he stood, taller than the Prussian.

"Because I need you all to dispose of the underground menace, the Clocker!" he snapped, his eyes burning with fury as his hands were clenched into tight fists. The Austrian's patience had worn thin by now and he was beyond angry, he was furious. How dare they come in here and start to doubt him already! Who do they think they are? Slowly, Roderich's expression fell back to its usual plain slab devoid of all emotions as his cold eyes burned into the other's minds. Slowly he stalked forwards, his boots making soft sounds on the metal floor upon which they all stood.

"I hired you all. You work for me now. I gave you a job when you all needed money so here I am, wasting my good-earned fortune on your pathetic, snivelling lumps! If you can come up with a better reason not to be here, and don't give me some pathetic reason now, then you'd better spit it out! Then I'd reconsider hiring you and you'll all be out of a job!" the Head Politician ground out, his eyes continuing to burn with fury and rage. Quickly, all four of them shook their heads, not wanting to lose their only income of money. Roderich relaxed, his shoulders and fists losing all tension in them and the anger fading from his eyes as he took his seat again, calm.

"So who is this 'Clocker' you speak of?" the Asian spoke slowly, his 'l's turning to 'r's as he spoke. Roderich turned to Kiku, his expression calm and devoid of all emotions.

"This 'Clocker' I speak of is a menace to the Realm. He takes from the rich, gives to the poor and has brutally murdered innocent people as well as endangering lives." Roderich said smoothly, the anger rising in his voice as he fought hard to keep his emotions in-check. But only_ he_ knew that what he was telling these four was a tale of lies; spun, polished and left gleaming – a spider's web ready for the flies to get entangled in it. And Ludwig, Gilbert, Kiku and Feliciano were those flies, none of them any wiser to his plot. Destroy the Clocker, own the Realm. His hired assassins nodded, their hearts and blood already bubbling and boiling with the very thought of lives being destroyed by one man.

"Ja. Ve understand you now." Ludwig said deeply, his ice-blue eyes narrowed in anger, "Ve shall stop this Clocker for you."

"But ve demand a good pay!" Gilbert shouted, his albino eyes flashing with malice and sadistic glee. Roderich glared at the German's brother.

"You will have good pay, Gilbert, make no mistake about that."

"How much vill you pay?"

"Three thousand credits for every day you work under my rule. An extra reward if you catch the Clocker within the month." Roderich said slickly, his face a plain slab of no emotion. Gilbert grinned and nodded, accepting this amount.

"Alright then. Ve'll vork for you, and ve'll catch this Clocker." Ludwig said, stalking out of the room when Roderich shooed them away. The Austrian sat back in his leather chair, lacing his fingers together as he examined each of the Axis' files. Ludwig - the buff German who was ready for a fight. Gilbert - the brawler and egomaniacal German. Kiku - the silent Japanese assassin, avoid at all costs if you're on the list to die. Feliciano - the poor Italian pasta-lover who couldn't hold a gun nor raise a candle to the other's strengths.

_'Such a rag-tag team I have...'_ Roderich thought to himself, sighing slightly as he pulled out his gold-dipped feathered quill and began to write a statement for the papers that were baying for a juicy story from within in The House and The Court of Order. In recent weeks the situation of the government had leaked out and gradually the papers had gotten more and more interested in it; now they were hounding him, heckling him and harassing him for an explanation.

"_Dear Editor..._" Roderich started, the quill stroking the parchment as he wrote.

* * *

_"Run! Don't stop and don't look back Arthur! Just run!" The voices screamed to him as he obeyed, running harder and faster than he'd ever run before. There was a great grinding and scraping and clashing of metal as the Underground caved in, killing all his friends and adoptive family in the process. Suddenly his hand was snatched into another's hand, a broad hand, one that dragged him along faster._

_"Come on!" the American voice yelled to the Briton as he ran, "Don't stop!" Arthur could only run harder, his lungs closing up and cutting off his breathing. He didn't know how long he would run for, only that he had run for ages. The scenery changed around him and he found himself in the Hell Plains; a fiery stretch of bubbling land where magma was too close to the surface. Numerous beasts lurked here such as Griffons, Manticores, Nagas, Clockwork Falcons and Eagles and, above all, the dreaded and feared Dragon-Chimera. That particular beast was a spawn of a dragon's egg being infused with pure Chimera DNA – an experiment done by idiot scientists of the Old World. It would breathe fire and tear its victims apart; limb from limb until nothing was left. Not even their eyes._

_He blinked and looked around, seeing he was alone again. The American had left him to die here. Everyone always left him in the end. Why? What had he ever done to them? Behind him he heard a growling, one that made his blood run cold. It was clearly the growl of a Manticore and that alone was enough to drive him into a sprint again. But soon he was cornered, pressed up against a cliff-face and he turned to see three Manticores stalking closer and closer, their fanged teeth gnashing and drooling with saliva. This was his end. He knew it. He knew he was going to die. He braced himself for the poison to enter his veins, bracing himself for the agony that would engulf his being when he heard a shout. He opened his eyes and frowned._

**_"Arthur!" _**_came the shout, the voice American. Arthur blinked and listened again, __**"Arthur wake up!"**__ the person repeated again. But there was no one in sight. Not a soul to be seen. The Manticores were frozen in their place and Arthur drew up the courage to move closer to them, waving his hand shakily in front of their human-likes faces and smiling in relief at getting no reaction from the beasts. He gave a rattling laugh of relief as he stood up straight and walked past them, confident he wouldn't be killed. He walked without looking where he was going and it all happened so fast; one moment he was walking and the next, falling. Down and down in a deep black hole. He couldn't scream for the darkness was forcing its way into his throat, its tendrils constricting him and dragging him down further. He could feel the air leaving his lungs and his mind shutting down. And then it stopped._

* * *

Arthur flew awake with a cry of fear, being restricted by Alfred in an instant.

"NO!" he yelled in fright, shaking and trembling as Alfred sat behind him and pulled the Briton into his grip.

"Calm down! It was just a dream!" Alfred said loudly, his strong arms keeping Arthur in place. Soon he could feel the panicked man relaxing in his grip and sighed. Arthur was still shaking though, thoroughly frightened at what his mad mind had conjured up tonight. He looked around and saw that they were in the Chief Engineer's attic, a place where they both could go to sleep and try to relax, away from all the machinery below them. Alfred slowly let his friend go, watching him carefully with tired sapphire eyes. Both men were sat on the worn-down sofa of the attic, Arthur tangled up in a blanket having been thrashing around in his nightmare.

"I... It was just a dream..." he said slowly, tugging the blanket free of his boots it was caught around, "J... just a dream..." he repeated to himself. Alfred nodded.

"Yeah, you were thrashin' 'round like a madman..." he said quietly, holding Arthur's gaze for a brief moment before the younger man gave a slow sigh.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Alfred," he apologised morosely, staring up at the inky-black midnight sky they were exposed to, "It's just that I've had such grotesque nightmares for a while now..." Alfred gave a soft chuckle, ruffling Arthur's hair.

"It's alright Clocker, I don't blame ya." he said with a smile, grinning when the Clocker glared at his hair being ruined. Arthur smacked Alfred's hand away.

"I have an appearance to keep up you know!" he snapped, a smile tugging at his mouth as he sorted his hair out, "People expect me to be a posh criminal!" They both shared a laugh as they looked up to see a star shooting across the sky. Arthur gave a soft sigh.

"There goes another..." Arthur said, "Another star lost..." Alfred nodded, watching the trail of star dust in the sky linger for a brief second before leaving them.

"Yeah... Wonder why the stars are suddenly bein' shot down? The already-fallin' ones that is..." he said, mainly to himself. Arthur let a soft sigh leave his lips as he watched the cool night sky trotter on towards daylight hours. The seasons and weather barely ever changed in the Clockwork Realm, only ever staying as hot and sunny days. Sometimes, if they were lucky, there would be the odd burst of rain but seldom would that occur. Rain was a blessed thing here in the Realm, something that would probably make you rich as nobody's business in an instant if you found out a way to make it rain more. Alfred looked over at the troubled Clocker with a glint in his eyes.

"What's got ya knickers in a twist?" he asked, his sapphire eyes gleaming. Arthur huffed slightly at the choice of words.

"Nothing, Alfred..." he lied, looking away from the Engineer as he felt something fill his heart. He couldn't place the emotion, since it was foreign to him. Sure, he'd heard of it and seen a few people with it, but he'd never really known _love_. Why would he if he was the Clocker - a lone soul travelling the Centre Clockface and never stopping in a single place for more than a few days, a week at most. That's what set him apart from other people, the fact he'd never known love. Quickly, he pushed those foreign thoughts and feelings from his mind when the Engineer began to speak.

"I see London, I see France, I see ya underpants. An' they're on fire." he said monotonously, his deadpan eyes staring into Arthur's soul almost. Arthur glared at the American.

"I told you! There's nothing wrong!" Arthur shouted almost, glaring deeply into those glistening sapphire eyes. Alfred allowed a small glare to grace his features before a grin caressed it again.

"Liar. Do you want me to keep on callin' you a liar?" he teased, laughing at the Clocker's reaction. Arthur growled.

"Okay! Fine! There's something wrong!" he snapped, standing and stalking over to the window, his metal boots clacking on the metal floor. Alfred laughed and sprawled himself over the rest of the sofa.

"Knew it! You gonna tell me?" he grinned, wincing at the Clocker's dry hiss.

"No!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to!"

"Please?"

"NO!"

"For me?"

"..." Arthur fell silent, wanting to and yet not wanting to. True, he'd do anything for Alfred but there was a limit. And, right now, telling him what was wrong was the limit. Alfred sighed, standing and approaching his friend and setting a comforting hand on the small shoulders of the Englishman.

"Please, Arthur?" Alfred asked seriously, earning yet another sigh from Arthur.

"I... don't know how to explain it..." he said slowly, not wanting to push himself into hot water too soon. And there was that foreign thought again, that little niggling feeling at his mind and heart that he felt _something_ for _Alfred_. Why Alfred? Why not a pretty young girl? Why not a lady? Why a dirty and grubby Engineer? Arthur sighed yet again, dipping his head as Alfred rested his chin on the smaller man's head.

"So try to. Ya don't know how hard something is 'til ya try it..." he said softly, making Arthur shiver at the tone of his American voice. His accent alone was more than enough for Arthur to decide about his feelings. He knew it. He _knew_ in his heart that his feelings were true. It felt so right and yet _so _wrong at the same time.

He loved Alfred, the Chief Engineer.


	6. The Engineers' Dial - Decommissioned

Having gone back to sleep that night, Alfred awoke to finding the smaller body of his friend gone and the smell of smoke forcing its way into his airways. He coughed and rolled off the couch and his ears picked up the cries and shouting of panic and his own Engineers from below. There were great plumes of coarse black smoke rising high into the air outside the attic he was in and that only drove him to panic more. He flung the blankets off him in a mad rush and sprinted downstairs into his office. There were papers everywhere, his chair tipped over and his desk smashed in half with splinters of wood littering the floor.

"W-W-What the-?!" he started before an explosion caught him off guard. He stumbled back and hit the stairs, yelping in surprise and pain before he hauled himself back up again and ran out onto the walkway outside the office. Arthur was nowhere in sight and a majority of his Engineers were on the ground, most writhing in pain while others lay lifeless. Alfred's eyes shimmered with fright and anger as he jumped from the walkway, clearing it just as one of the smelting cauldrons came loose from its chain and came crashing down. It smashed the walkway into the ground, sending Alfred rolling to a halt on the metal floor. Quickly he jumped up and sprinted off into the billowing smoke that surrounded him; soon he realised that the Engineer's Dial was under attack.

He snarled under his breath and ran off again, running faster as he called out for Arthur and his fellow Engineers. But not a single response was given that day. He cursed repeatedly under his breath as he ran, searching the area rapidly and leaving no slab of metal unturned. But, once again, he found nothing. He sighed slightly and ran for the Bridges of the Dials, feeling his metal implants warm up due to the rapidly increasing heat. Slag was pouring out from the smelting cauldrons that were hoisted high on their chains, hitting the metal decks below and forcing Alfred to take a large detour around it. Despite being able to withstand such things, his metal hand and other such implants could not handle such degrees of temperature straight away. He had seen it once before; a rookie Engineer had died from his metal right hand being caught in the way of a downfall of molten slag, heated to incredible temperatures, and it had burned right through his hand and hit the remains of the skin beneath. The amount of blood that had run down the walkways as the young lad had screamed in terror and agony had appeared to be endless, making Alfred sick to the stomach. Never again would he allow such a thing to happen.

He snapped back to reality and ran faster, reaching his maximum speed and vaulting a large pipe that had come crashing down and obliterated the path he was taking. But he didn't know of the vast gap that lay between the pipe and the rest of the walkway. He gave a shout of fright as his arms and legs flailed wildly. For a few brief seconds, all Alfred could feel was the air rushing past his brass and gold fingers. But then that ended when his hand slammed down onto the remains of the battered walkway. He let out a shaky, rattling laugh of nerves as he hauled himself up and set off at a run again.

"Arthur?! Where are you?!" he shouted into the darkness and smog, coughing slightly as he reached the centre of the devastation. To his horror he saw three figures stood at the centre power core of the Dial, a fourth half crouched behind a broad-shouldered figure. He growled and his hands closed into fists, one going to the holster by his side as he pulled out the Spring Gun Arthur had taken from the Enforcer a while ago.

"Who are you?!" he barked at the intruders, making them all jump and swing around. From where he was stood, Alfred could just about make out their faces. Two of them were definitely brothers, another was Asian and another was downright terrified.

"I say again, who are you?!" Alfred repeated, shouting louder as he came closer, brandishing the readied weapon. The taller of the four stood forwards, protecting the scared one instantly and yet subconsciously.

"We are zhe Axis. And zhis Dial is being decommissioned by order of High Ruler, Roderich Edelstein. You vill cease and desist." the German said, his blonde hair seeming to shimmer in the glowing orange lighting of the room. All around the centre power core, C4 explosives had been laid.

"Oh you little..." Alfred growled, firing rapidly at the Axis as he approached, "You demons! How dare you destroy MY Dial!" he roared in fury, trying hard to not hit the explosives. The German laughed, his brother echoing it eerily, as they all ducked the springs that came hurtling towards them at high speeds.

"Leave us be, Engineer! You have no right to try to murder us!" the German shouted, throwing a lump of metal at Alfred and stunning him for a brief moment.

"W-Who are you?"

"I am Ludwig Beilschmidt, zhis is mein bruder, Gilbert." Ludwig grinned, almost sadistically, as he gestured to the albino German and then the Asian man, "Zhis is Honda Kiku, our assassin. And zhis is Feliciano Vargas." he pointed to the cowering Italian behind him, "And ve are here to end you and your friend, the Clocker." The American felt his blood run cold and he froze in his place, no longer shooting at the intruders.

"Now, you have a single chance to leave zhis place or risk death. Your Engineers vere vise and left." Gilbert sneered, grinning madly at the American. Alfred glared and gave one last shooting spree at them before turning on his heel and sprinting away for the exit. The Axis all laughed, with the exception of Feliciano, and left - climbing back up the rope ladder that led back to the surface.

* * *

Arthur, to put it plainly, was panicking. He had awoken to the smell of fire and burning and had been bustled out by other Engineers in the mad dash to get to safety. But he'd left Alfred in the process and, right now, he felt awful. There had been no sign of the Chief Engineer and that alone was enough to make the Briton panic. He was pacing on the battered walkway of the Undercity, not bothering about the Engineers who watched him and those who dealt with the injured. It had been about an hour now and still there were no signs of Alfred coming out of the Dial.

A rattling sigh left his lips as he kept on pacing, his hands playing with his shotgun that was strapped to his back. Suddenly he stopped pacing as he heard rapid footsteps that came thundering down the corridor from the Dial. A figure was soon able to be seen amongst the smoke and ash and Arthur's heart was in his mouth. It was Alfred!

"ALFRED!" Arthur shouted, running to the edge of the Undercity and holding onto the railing there, "ALFRED COME ON!" he roared, his voice cracking out of fear and terror. Alfred came sprinting towards the Bridges of the Dials, only to stop short when he saw the state of the Bridge.

"There is no way that'll survive me running across it!" Alfred shouted to Arthur, backing away only to remember the explosives that were about to detonate.

"You can do it Alfred! All your Engineers did! You can too!" he shouted back, panic clear in his eyes even from where Alfred stood. The American gave one last look at the Bridge before quickly giving in, his hands shaking as he slowly stepped onto the dull gold surface of the crumbling walkway of the rundown Bridge. Instantly the Bridge gave an unearthly groan, almost as if it was in pain, and Alfred began to panic.

"It's gonna fall!" he cried in fear, his eyes going wide as a chill of horror ran down his spine.

"It won't! I promise!" Arthur shouted, lime-green orbs glistening with tears, "Trust me!" Alfred's head snapped up and his eyes focused on Arthur, on his friend. Slowly, he gave a nod and kept on walking, one hand keeping a tight grip on the crumbling railings on his right. He kept on moving, one step at a time, towards the Clocker. No doubt fear was closing around the Engineer's heart but still he kept going, looking up into Arthur's eyes. As soon as he did that, as soon as he saw those gleaming orbs, it drove him on and gave him hope. He didn't understand this feeling he felt, this tie that existed between them both, but to hell with it. It gave him the drive to jump from the Bridge's swaying beam and land roughly on the Undercity's slab of metal. There was another creaking groan and the Bridge's great metal arms released their grip from the underbelly of the Centre Clockface; a scraping noise reached all ears as the Bridges of the Dials fell into the Abyss below, its surface giving one last shine of glory before being swallowed up by the darkness.

Alfred was on his knees, trembling as Arthur helped him up, holding tightly onto the Briton's smaller body. His body shook with fright and he pulled Arthur into a tight hug.

"I w-w-was so s-s-scared! I thought y-y-you had died!" he sobbed, the American's larger body almost doubled over as he kept a tight hug going, "The A-A-Axis w-w-were looking for you!" he cried into Arthur's shoulder. The Clocker's eyes went wide and he hugged his friend close.

"But I'm right here! I'm fine! I got out!" he said, rubbing his friend's back gently and playing with Alfred's hair that was a complete mess save for the usual nantucket. "I promise, I'm fine, Alfred..." he said again, softening his tone. Alfred slowly pulled away and sniffed, giving a small shaky smile to the Englishman as his tears were wiped away by his friend.

"C-Come on, we gotta-!" Alfred was cut off by the explosives detonating, their violent explosion enough to make the power core of the Dial implode and send out vicious tremors that reached the Undercity. He was sent crashing to his knees with Arthur beneath him. Bits of metal came flying out from the ruined Engineer's Dial and, as soon as Alfred looked up and saw them, he covered Arthur's body with his own and protected him.

"Damn you, Axis Powers, damn you to the Abyss." he cursed, glaring as a thick cloud of smoke and ash rolled over them, sending them once again into darkness.


	7. Call For Help

Sounds of coughing filled the air as Arthur slowly awoke, coughing himself to rid the smoke that was plaguing his lungs. He opened his eyes and saw Alfred's face above his, wrought with pain as he, too, coughed. Arthur slowly moved a hand to Alfred's cheek and looked into the sapphire blue eyes above his own acid-green ones.

"A-Alfred...? Are you o-ok...?" he wheezed, his voice small and quiet as his body expelled the last of the smoke in a final coughing fit. Alfred nodded, coughing slightly.

"I'm f-fine... Better question is, are you?" Arthur gave a weak nod, looking up past the Chief Engineer and up at the smoke in the skies above them. Alfred looked up too and sighed, watching as everything he had ever known and considered a home float up high above them.

"I'm sorry..." Arthur said miserably, "There was nothing I could do... The Axis were there after me... I couldn't save the Dial..." he said, his eyes cast downwards and his head bowed in shame. Alfred tutted and got off his friend, letting Arthur sit up.

"Now don't give me that bull. You know damn well that it wasn't your fault. It was that damned Axis, and no one could've stopped them." Alfred retorted, putting a strong tanned hand on Arthur's shoulder and turning the sadder man to look at him.

"But I still could've tried!"

"No, you did the right thing and got out of there. God knows what I would've done if you were injured... or killed." Arthur fell silent, his mind beginning to go into overdrive.

_'Wait, does that mean he likes me too? It can't be possible...__'_ he thought to himself, his hands tensing and his heart pounding in panic and anxiety.

"Arthur, come on. We need to get out of here. The Axis are too close for comfort." Alfred said, standing and pulling Arthur up. The Briton sighed and nodded, standing and dusting his clothes down from the ash that covered them. Slowly, the crowds of Engineers dispersed as each of them found their way to the surface; small groups of them split up and went their separate ways while others stayed together, finding safety and comfort in numbers. Alfred put an arm around Arthur's shoulders and started walking, leading them both away from the devastation behind them. Alfred turned his head and spared his once-home one last look before a sigh left his lips, turning and leaving again.

* * *

There was panic in the streets above. Everyone on the Cog of Intelligence and Communications was in a state of panic, running about and screaming as thick black smoke engulfed their streets nearest to the Engineer's Dial. There was no mistake about it, they were all terrified. Matthew Williams sprinted along the streets and closer to his makeshift home, one nestled in the top-most floor of the great Comm Tower; this great structure towered sixty-four feet into the sky, making anyone who merely looked up at it from the street below dizzy and sick. It had sixty-four different floors for more than one hundred different frequencies but there were mainly the first nine floors that were for the specialised frequencies of the Nine Cogs. And here, on the sixty-fourth floor, was Matthew's home. He was in charge of the whole Tower and, right now, it was shaking and trembling with the force of a thousand bombs.

As soon as he reentered the building, there was chaos everywhere he looked. His fellow colleagues were running about, some injured and some dead from falling debris, while Enforcers tried to get them to calm down. He sighed and ran towards his second in command, Francis Bonnefoy.

"Francis!" The Canadian man called, beckoning the Frenchman over.

"Oui, mon cher?" Francis asked, his accent French and smooth as he spoke.

"Any ideas on what just happened?"

"Non, I'm afraid zhere is nozhing from zhe Underground about what zhat was." Matthew sighed, nodding his thanks. He looked up when the building stopped rocking and gave a slight smile of relief.

"Any word on my brother, Alfred?"

"Non, I'm sorry mon cher... No one knows if 'e was caught in zhe blast..." Francis replied sorrowfully, his blue eyes shimmering slightly. Matthew winced and nodded again.

"Thank you..." His miniature comm link in his pocket buzzed and made him jump. Quickly he pulled it out and activated it, eyes widening at who was calling; it was the Clocker! Francis set a hand on Matthew's shoulder, frowning.

"What is it?"

"The Clocker." Matthew said quietly, looking to Francis before running to the lift with his friend in hot pursuit. Both of them jumped in and Matthew hit the button for his floor and instantly the lift shot straight up, the gears and pulleys working doubly fast to get them up there in ten seconds flat. As soon as they had arrived, Matthew shot straight out and ran over to his desk, brushing the papers aside and linking the mobile comm link up to the private line that was always secured, and picked up an earpiece.

::Clocker? Why are you calling?:: Matthew said finally into the link, both worried and ecstatic at the same time.

::No time to explain, Mattie!:: came the response, ::You and Francis are needed!::

::But why? Is my brother alright?::

::Yes, he is! Alfred is alright, I'm alright, we're all alright. But we need you to get into the Gov's network and find out who the hell this 'Axis' is!::

::Who?:: Mattie replied in disbelief, staring from Francis to the comm link to Francis and back again. There came a distorted sigh from Arthur before there came the explanation.

::The Engineer's Dial was attacked a mere two hours ago, everyone got out and Alfred was the last after he'd encountered four men by the main power core. Their names were Ludwig Beilschmidt, Gilbert Beilschmidt, Honda Kiku and Feliciano Vargas. They call themselves the 'Axis Powers'. We need you to hack into the Gov's mainframe and get all the information you can about them!:: Arthur paused for breath before continuing, ::We need to know who they are and what they're doing destroying the Engineer's Dial. We reckon they're after me but we can't be sure who commissioned them. Rumours are spreading that it's Edelstein, but again we've got nothing solid to work on.::

Matthew was in disbelief as he stared at the comm as if he were staring into Arthur's eyes.

::I-I can't do that!::

::Please, Mattie! We can't fight an enemy in the dark!:: There was a sickeningly long pause before anyone gave any form of answer. Francis picked up another earpiece and spoke slowly into it, watching Mattie's face carefully.

::Oui, we shall try to acquire zhis information you need, Arthur. But I cannot guarantee zhat we will get everyzhing.:: Francis answered, nodding as Mattie did.

::Thank you, Francis. Save this frequency and I'll call you back later. Or you call me once you have the information.:: And with that, the comm link shut off, leaving Matthew and Francis in a deathly silence. Both men looked at each other before Matthew sat in his chair, put his elbows on the desk and put his head in his hands.


End file.
